Wall mounted enclosure for an elongated heat exchanger



Feb. 6, 1968 R. L. HAGENSICK ETAL 7 3,367,412

WALL MOUNTED ENCLOSURE FOR AN ELONGATED HEAT EXGHANGER Filed Jan. 7,1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 6, 1968 R. L. HAGENSlCK ETAL 3,357,412

WALL MOUNTED ENCLOSURE FOR AN ELONGATED HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Jan. 7,1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofiice 3,367,412 PatentedFeb. 6, 1968 3,367,412 WALL MUUNTED ENiILUSURE FOR AN ELONGATED HEATEXCHANGER Robert I... lia'agensick, Bloomington, IlL, Bruce K. Johnson,St. Paul, Minn, and Ronald P. Wood, Racine, Wis,

assignors to Modine Manufacturing, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed.Ian. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 519,286 6 Claims. (Cl. 165-56) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A wall mounted enclosure for an elongated heat exchanger suchas a baseboard type heater in which a rigid elongated support strip isattachable to a wall and with the heat exchanger itself being supportedfrom the support strip so that the elements of the enclosure can bemounted evenly and uniformly on the support strip regardless of whetheror not the wall is uniform.

This invention relates to a wall mounted enclosure for an elongated heatexchanger such as a baseboard radiator for heating a room.

The wall mounted enclosure of this invention provides a rigid enclosurefor the heat exchanger combined with a mounting means for the heatexchanger so that the entire structure may be easily mounted on a wallto present a uniformly level structure regardless of whether the wallitself is uniform or whether it is uneven.

One of the features of this invention is to provide a wall mountedenclosure for an elongated heat exchanger in which a rigid elongatedsupport strip is attachable to a wall to extend horizontally therealongwith the enclosure structure and the heat exchanger itself beingsupported from the support strip so that the elements of the apparatuscan be mounted evenly and uniformly on the support strip regardless ofwhether or not the wall is uniform.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of certain embodiments thereof taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a wall mounted enclosureembodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective exploded view showing certain of the partsdisassembled and illustrating how a plurality of enclosure members maybe arranged in endto-end relationship.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but illustrating a secondembodiment of the invention.

In the illustrated embodiments there is provided an elongated supportstrip which may be of metal such as extruded aluminum that may bemounted substantially horizontally on a supporting wall 11 as by aplurality of screws 12. The support strip 10 is mounted above the floor13 for a baseboard type unit.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE 3 the support strip 10 is provided witha rear section 14 adapted to be placed flat against the wall, aforwardly extending horizontal section 15 and a bottom section 16 alsoadapted to be placed against the wall. The bottom section 16 is shapedto provide an elongated cavity 17 in which is located an elongatedresilient sealing gasket 18 which may be made of resilient polyurethanefoam.

On the bottom of the support strip 10, as shown for example in FIGURE 4,there is provided a forwardly extending flange member 19 which extendsforwardly of the wall 11 and which is used to attach the upper end of aheat exchanger support means in the form of elongated metal wire 20. Theupper end of this wire 20 extends through the flange 19 and has threadedto it a nut 21 so that the position of the wire 20 may be adjustedvertically depending upon the extent that the nut 21 is screwed on thewire. The bottom of the support wire 20 is shaped to form a hook 22which hooks under the heat exchanger pipe 23 of the customary type whichas is usual carries a plurality of spaced heat exchange fins 24.

FIGURES 2 and 5 illustrate how the heat exchanger 23 may be positionedvertically to a desired position depending upon the length of thesupport wire 20.

The top rear section 14 and the forwardly extending section 15 of thesupport strip 10 are shaped to provide a pair of vertically extendinghorizontally spaced retaining means with a first retaining means 25being closer to the wall 11 than is a second retaining means 26. The tworetaining means define a cavity having an entrance therebetween and areso arranged that the rear top edge portion 27 of an enclosure member 28may extend into the cavity and engage on its upper surface the firstretaining means 25 and on its lower surface the second retaining means26. Thus, a cantilever suspension is provided of the top of theenclosure member 28 from the support strip 10.

The top edge portion 27 of the enclosure member 28 is provided with anupward extension 29 in the form of a flange that is normally spacedrearwardly of the first retaining means 25 and forwardly of the wall 11.With this arrangement, the enclosure 28 may be adjustably positionedwith respect to the support strip 10.

In order to retain solidly the bottom of the enclosure 28 there areprovided a plurality of spaced bottom braces 30 each attached to thewall 11 as by means of a screw 31. Each brace is of sheet metal and isprovided with side flanges 32 to give strength to the brace. Each bracecarries of its forward end an attaching means in the form of a clamp 33that may be held in position by a wing bolt 34 to clamp the lowerupturned bottom edge 35 of the enclosure 28. The clamp 33 is movablealong its bottom brace 30 in order to adjust its position also tocompensate for uneven wall structures.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 4 the illustrated brace 30 is attached to avertical locating strip member 36 whose upper end is attached to thebottom flange 19 of the support strip 10. This locating strip insurespositioning the brace 30 a proper distance from the support strip 10.

FIGURE 4 also illustrates the use of a backing plate 37 that may definethe rear of the enclosure. If desired, the locating strip 36 and backingplate 37 need not both be used simultaneously, as either may be usedalone. Where the backing plate is used without the locating strip 36,the backing plate itself serves to locate the bottom braces 30 properlywith respect to the support strip 10.

In the embodiment of this invention trim strips 38, as shown in FIGURE4, and corner trim strips 39, as shown in FIGURE 1, are used. These trimstrips serve to conceal the adjacent edges of enclosure members 28 toprovide a continuous seal construction and to present a pleasingappearance. As is shown in FIGURE 4, the trim strips include a bottomfoot 40 with an upturned inner flange 41 that will be located under andaround the bottom flange 42 On the enclosure 28 when the trim strips areinstalled. The upper ends of the trim strips are held in the supportingstrip 10.

As is illustrated in FIGURE 3, the trim strips 38 and 39 are eachprovided with a spring catch means at the top releasably engaging thesupport strip 10. This spring catch means is hidden beneath the trimstrip and is provided on its inner end with a catch portion 43 locatedbehind the first retaining means 25 on the supporting strip 10. Thecatch portion 43 forms a part of a depressible leaf spring mountingportion 44 that is accessible through a small opening 45 immediatelyabove the spring portion 44. Thus, when a downward force is appliedthrough the opening 45 on the spring portion 44, as indicated by thearrow 46, the spring catch may be moved to its broken line position asshown in FIGURE 3 for ready removal of the trim strips 38 and 39.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the enclosure member 28 may contain theusual air outlet louvers 47.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 1-4 inclusive, the enclosure member 28 isprovided with a flat top. In the embodiment of FIGURE 5, on the otherhand, the top is sloped downwardly.

As illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 4, the enclosure members may containinternal bracing 48 for added rigidity. Also as illustrated in thesefigures, the enclosure member 28 may be provided with end inturnedflanges 49 also for strengthening purposes. In actual construction theseflanges will be hidden by the trim strips 38 and 39 where theenclosuresare arranged in end-to-end relationship or at the terminal end will behidden by an end cap member (not shown).

In order to locate the rear top edge portion 27 of the enclosure membersubstantially immovably on the support strip 10 the top end flanges 49may be provided with bottom notches 50, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, forresting on the top edge of the bottom second retaining means flange 26.

The enclosure apparatus of this invention has a number of very importantfunctional advantages. Thus, the use of a support strip 10 which may beof extruded metal such as aluminum permits supporting the parts of theenclosure apparatus from this strip. Because the support strip itself isstraight, the enclosure apparatus Will be straight when installedregardless of irregularities and variations in the wall on which theapparatus is mounted. In addition, the support strip 10 provides a topedge that extends above the cover member 28, as illustrated in thedrawings, to provide a straight pleasing appearance to the top of theenclosure structure. The support strip also provides a very strongsuspension mounting not only of the cover member 28 but also of the heatexchanger 23 and 24.

The arrangement of the support strip 10 extending above and enclosingthe rear edge of the cover member28 also serves to prevent exposure ofraw metal edges and of screws and fasteners. Thus, this construction incombination with the trim strips 38 and 39 hides all attaching means andgives a smooth over-all appearance. Because the cover member 28 as wellas the sloped top cover member 51 of FIGURE are mounted at both top andbottom the cover members are very rigidly mounted. This rigidity isfurther inhanced by constructing both the top support strip and thebottom braces 30 to resist bending even when subjected to very strongforces. In addition, the adjustable clamp means 33 and 34 provides astrong connection of the bottom of the enclosure to the bottom brace 30.

With the catch construction previously described, the trim strips 38 and39 are tightly held against the cover members to provide good air sealand neat appearance and to prevent the exposure of raw metal edges.However, the trim strips can be easily removed by merely releasing thetop spring catch 44 in the manner previously described. Because thespring catches can only be released by force applied through the topopenings 45, there is little danger of accidental release. Furthermore,because only a thin probe is required these openings can be quite smallso as to attract little if any attention. Because the trim strips 38 and39 overlap adjacent edges of adjacent enclosure members or panels, thespacing of these adjacent edges may vary without being noticeable fromthe exterior.

The resilient seal 18 between the support strip 10 and the wall 11 sealsin the air and prevents soiling and streaking of the wall 11 and wallmounted draperies and the like. In addition, the cantilever constructionnot only provides a very strong suspension of the top of the enclosuremembers or panels but also itself provides a superior seal at the toprear of the enclosures.

As the bottom braces 30 are quite strong and extend forwardly asubstantial distance from the mounting wall 11 these braces serve toabsorb any heavy force applied to the enclosure, particularly at thetop. Furthermore, the clamps 33 and 34 lock the bottom of the enclosureagainst movement rearwardly or forwardly and thus gives added strengthto the entire structure.

Having described our invention as related to the cmbodiments shown inthe accompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be notlimited by any of the details of description, unless otherwisespecified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scopeas set out in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. In a wall mounted enclosure with an elongated heat exchanger,apparatus comprising: a rigid elongated support strip attachable to aWall to extend horizontally therealong; support means extendingdownwardly from said strip for supporting said heat exchanger; anenclosure member for said heat exchanger having a rear top edge portion;and means on said strip for retaining said rear top edge portion andthereby supporting said enclosure member from its said rear top edgeportion, said means on said strip for retaining said rear top edgeportion comprises a pair of horizontally spaced retaining means defininga cavity having an entrance therebetween, said rear top edge portion ofthe enclosure member extending into said cavity and having an uppersurface and a lower surface and engaging on its upper surface a first ofsaid retaining means that is closer to said wall and on its lowersurface a second of said retaining means that is spaced from said wallto provide a cantilever suspension of said enclosure member from saidstrip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first retaining means that iscloser to said wall is spaced forwardly thereof to define a recess, andsaid top edge portion is provided with an upward extension in saidrecess normally spaced rearwardly of said first retaining means andforwardly of said wall for adjustable positioning therebetween.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure member has a terminalend, and a removable trim strip is provided for said end having a bottomfastening means releasably engageable with the bottom of said enclosuremember and a spring catch means at the top releasably engageable withsaid support strip, said spring catch means being hidden by said trimstrip and having a catch portion engageable behind said first retainingmeans and a depressible spring mounting portion accessible through anopening in said trim strip to move said catch portion out of engagementwith said first retaining means preparatory to removal of said trimstrip from said apparatus.

4. In a wall mounted enclosure with an elongated heat exchanger,apparatus comprising: a rigid elongated support strip attachable to awall to extend horizontally therealong; support means extendingdownwardly from said strip for supporting said heat exchanger; anenclosure member for said heat exchanger having a rear top edge portion;means on said strip for retaining said rear top edge portion and therebysupporting said enclosure memher from its said rear top edge portion;and a bottom brace attachable to said wall to extend outwardlytherefrom, said brace carrying attaching means for supporting saidcnclosure member, the attaching means being movable along said brace toadjusted position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said brace is attached to a locatingstrip member extending downwardly from said support strip.

6. In a wall mounted enclosure with an elongated heat exchanger,apparatus comprising: a rigid elongated support strip attachable to awall to extend horizontally therealong; support means extendingdownwardly from said strip for supporting said heat exchanger; anenclosure member for said heat exchanger having a rear top edge portion;means on said strip for retaining said rear top edge portion and therebysupporting said enclosure member from its said rear top edge portion, inwhich said support strip is provided with a flange member extendingforwardly of said wall on which said heat exchanger support means isadjustably mounted, said means on said strip for retaining said rear topedge portion comprises a pair of horizontally spaced retaining meansdefining a cavity having an entrance therebetween, said rear top edgeportion of the enclosure member extending into said cavity and having anupper surface and a lower surface and engaging on its upper surface afirst of said retaining means that is closer to said wall and on itslower surface a second of said retaining means that is spaced from saidwall to provide a cantilever suspension of said enclosure member fromsaid strip, said first retaining means that is closer to said wall isspaced forwardly thereof to define a recess, and said top edge portionis provided with an upward extension in said recess normally spacedrearwardly of said first retaining means and forwardly of said wall foradjustable positioning therebetween, and a bottom brace is providedattachable to said wall to extend outwardly therefrom, said bracecarrying attaching means for supporting said enclosure member, theattaching means being movable along said brace to adjusted position,said brace is attached to a locating strip member extending downwardlyfrom said support strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,632,632 3/1953 Downs 552,722,403 11/1955 Guerra et al. 16567 X 2,796,238 6/1957 Sjoden 165-67 X2,855,186 10/1958 Brinen 165-67 X 2,662,747 12/1953 Trane et al. 165552,670,935 3/1954 Arnold 165-55 FOREIGN PATENTS 951,619 3/1964 GreatBritain.

EDWARD 1. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner.

A. W. DAVIS, Assistant Examiner.

